Index-card.



-J. A. FRANTZ. INDEX 011111). APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1910,

Patented 11 11.25, 1911.

lUldTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE,

JACOB A. FRANTZ, OF SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 TECHNICAL SUPPLYCOMPANY, OF SCRANT'ON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

INDEX-CARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr, 25, 1911.

Application filed August 8, 1910. Serial No. 576,026.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAcoB A. FRANTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Index-Cards,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in index cards, and the primaryobject of the invention is to provide a card of this class which adaptedto receive entries or other matter on one side only, the opposite orreverse side of the card being blank whereby correct copies orreproductions of the entries or other matter may be made by the ordinaryblue printing process, the labor and expense of making manuscriptcopies, the necessity of checking, and the liability of costly errors,being avoided.

The invention consists essentially of a sheet of paper through which theusual blue print paper may be exposed and which, for convenience, willbe termed a card, the card being scored and cut at an intermediate pointin its length whereby it may readily fold at the center, thus bringingthe ends of the card together and providing, at the line of fold, indextabs which are similar in function to those ordinarily used in cardindex systems.

When folded and filed the double or folded card provides the same amountof space for entries as the usual single card adapted to receive entrieson both sides, the card being filed with the folded edge uppermost,thereby avoiding the filing of one card within another. The card may bereadily removed at any time from a file box or other receptaclecontaining it for the purpose of making an exact copy of it, by theusual blue printing process, the card being opened or unfolded if a copyis to be made of the whole card or the card may be left folded if onlyhalf of the card is to be copied, the blue print paper in the latterinstance being placed between the two folded parts of the card. Anyportion of the card may be omitted from the reproduced copy by placingopaque paper between that portion of the index card which is to beexcluded and the sensitized paper. The writing or other record matter onthe original card may be reproduced by the usual blue printing processon a card of the same grade of stock which is suitably sensitized forblue printing, and in this manner a duplicate set of cards may beaccurately made. Another advantage of the device embodying the featuresof the invention is, that an unlimited number of copies of a single cardmay be made at a minimum cost.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a face view of the improvedindex card, unfolded. Fig. 2 is a View of the reverse side of the card.Figs. 8 and 1 are detail perspective views of the card, the formershowing it completely folded and inverted, and the latter showing thecard partially folded and in upright position. v I

The body 5 of the card may be of any suitable dimensions and of anysuitable stock which will adapt it for use in card index files and willenable photographic material to be exposed therethrough. A plurality oflines as 7 and 8 are preferably printed or otherwise applied to the face6 of the card, thereby forming spaces or divisions adapted to receiveentries in writing, the lines as shown being arranged, for example, toreceive the entries of an account and a suitable spaee 9 is left at oneend of the card for a title or heading. The exact arrangement of theface of the card is not,however, essential as any suitable matter may beapplied thereto and the lines 7 and 8 are illustrated as examples andfor the purpose of demonstrating one practical use of the card. The cardis scored at an intermediate point 10 to permit ready folding of thesame, and index tabs 11 are cut from one portion of the card and remainintegral with the op-- posed portion of the card adjacent to the line offold, it being understood that the index tabs are unscored in order thatthey may project rigidly above the upper or folded edge of the card.When the card is unfolded or laid out in flat condition the tabs 11return to and fill the openings 12 from which the tabs are cut so thatthe card presents a flat continuous surface. When the card is folded asshown by Figs. 3 and 1, the tabs 11 project rigidly beyond the foldedportions of the cards and they bear index marks 12 which enable thedifferent cards to be located and removed from the filing box or otherreceptacle containing a number of the cards. The rear face of the card,as shown by Fig. 2, will be blank so as to enable reproductions to bemade by the usual blue printing process.

In use the card is supplied with written, printed or other matter on itsface 6 and is then folded and stored in a filing drawer, box or otherreceptacle. WVhen it is desired to make a copy of the matter on thecard, the latter is removed from its filing receptacle, it is opened,and a blue print or other photographic reproduction is made by the usualmethods. As many of these print copies of the card may be made as foundnecessary or desirable, and after the copies are completed the card isreturned to its filing receptacle. It will be understood that when theprint copies are made of the card, the latter is laid out flat, as shownby Figs. 1 and 2, both sides of the card presenting smooth continuoussurfaces and this insures the production of an even print.

The improved card will be found exceptionally advantageous for thepurpose for which it has been devised, and a large number of exactcopies of any matter contained on the card may be produced in acomparatively short time and at a minimum expense.

I claim as my invention:-

An index card composed of a sheet folded at a point intermediate itslength, the outer faces of the folded sheet providing spaces to receiveentries and the inner faces of the sheet being blank, and index tabs cutfrom one of the folded portions of the sheet and projecting rigidlyupwardly from the folded edge of the sheet, said tabs lying flush withand forming unbroken continuations of the face of the sheet when thelatter is unfolded.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JACOB A. FRANTZ. Witnesses:

R. W. ELDER, C. F. VVEIQHEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

